High Court adjourns case seeking to prevent reinvestigation of former UL president

Professor Kerstin Mey resigned as president of University of Limerick in 2024 as part of a settlement agreement after she was threatened with disciplinary action over due diligence and adherence to policies during the university’s 2022 purchase of a 20-house development at Rhebogue, Co Limerick, for rent to 80 postgraduate and research students. File picture

A High Court injunction application by former University of Limerick (UL) president, Professor Kerstin Mey, seeking to prevent a reinvestigation has been adjourned for two days.

The reinvestigation by UL is in connection with claims she misled the Dáil Public Accounts Committee (PAC) or a previous investigation officer.

Prof. Mey, currently UL professor of visual culture, resigned as president in 2024 as part of a settlement agreement after she was threatened with disciplinary action over due diligence and adherence to policies during the university’s 2022 purchase of a 20-house development at Rhebogue, Co Limerick, for rent to 80 postgraduate and research students.

Last Friday, her lawyers were granted permission to serve the injunction proceedings on UL and the matter was returned to Tuesday when Mr Justice Oisín Quinn said he would put the matter in for Thursday so that an early date for the application hearing could be given.

Marcus Dowling SC, for Prof. Mey, said while he had told the court last Friday that his client had informed the university it would not attend a meeting in connection with the reinvestigation on Tuesday, this was not the advice that had been received from the client. However, she would still not be attending Tuesday's meeting, he said.

Brian Kennedy SC, for UL, said his side had agreed there would be no disciplinary action against Prof. Mey because she did not attend Tuesday's meeting.

Rhebogue housing deal

The Rhebogue housing deal involved the payment by UL of some €12.4m for the development which was valued for the Comptroller and Auditor General just a year later at €6.5m with an "in-use" value put at €7.4m. Public controversy followed with the PAC also inquiring into the matter.

An investigation on behalf of the university found no wrongdoing on behalf of Prof. Mey or her representatives in relation to the non-attendance of a UL corporate officer at the PAC.

UL's Audit and Risk Committee conducted a review in early 2024 of the €12.4m housing purchase and concluded that it could not be said due diligence was undertaken at all stages or that university policies and processes were adhered to during it.

This prompted disciplinary moves against her. These were compromised with Prof. Mey agreeing to resign and she was to take up the role of professor of visual culture.

However, media controversy over the housing deal continued and in May 2025, the university's Special Disclosures Group told her a reinvestigation was to be carried out over an "apparent conflict of information" in what was said to the first investigation and to the PAC.